OVA
Description
Pai Ayanokouji, also known as the Sanjiyan, is the last surviving member of the Sanjiyan Unkara, a race of three-eyed, magically powerful beings who resemble humans and live for centuries. She is roughly three hundred years old, and she carries the burden of being the final remnant of a people nearly wiped out in a devastating conflict. Appearing as an ordinary young woman with black hair and red eyes, she hides her true nature until her third eye, located in the middle of her forehead, opens.
Pai is defined by a split personality, a trait common among younger Sanjiyan. Her primary personality, simply called Pai, is cheerful, caring, naive, and somewhat flaky, and in this state she looks completely human. Her second personality, Parvati IV, emerges when she is defenseless, endangered, or emotionally overwhelmed. Parvati is more arrogant, ruthless, rigid, and stoic, and it is this persona that commands her magical abilities. The two personalities are aware of each other and sometimes speak to one another. When the third eye opens, those around her usually refer to her as the Sanjiyan rather than by name.
Her central motivation is the desire to become human. Believing herself to be the last of her kind, she seeks the Ningen no Zo, a legendary artifact said to have the power to turn a Sanjiyan into a mortal. Her wish is rooted in the pain of her past; she wants to escape the sorrow and troubled history of her race and simply live as a human being. In pursuit of this goal, she travels to Tokyo, where she encounters a teenager named Yakumo Fujii. Yakumo is the son of Professor Fujii, an archaeologist who had befriended Pai in Tibet years earlier and promised to help her in her quest before falling ill and dying. Pai carries the professor's final letter to his son, asking Yakumo to aid her.
Her role in the story is inseparable from Yakumo. Early on, an accident involving her creature Takuhi mortally wounds Yakumo, and in desperation Pai's third eye opens and she absorbs his soul. This act saves his life but transforms him into her Wu, an immortal servant bound to protect her. Their fates become linked: Yakumo cannot die while she lives, but he will die if she does, and he can only become human again if she succeeds in becoming human as well. Their shared journey to find the artifact and restore both their lives drives the narrative, and it transforms their initial, uneasy alliance into a deep bond of trust and devotion.
The relationship with Yakumo is the most important in her life, but she is connected to others as well. Takuhi, a bird-like creature, serves as her guardian and companion. Her enemies include the followers of Kaiyanwang, a powerful demon god and former ruler of the Sanjiyan who is tied to her past, as well as various demons from the Shadow World who seek her power or want to use the artifact for themselves. Her mother is Parvati III, and her personal history is marked by loss and the near extinction of her people, which explains both her loneliness and her longing for an ordinary life.
Over the course of the story, Pai develops from an isolated and emotionally scarred being into someone capable of deep connection, largely through her experiences with Yakumo. Later storylines see her personality dynamics change significantly, including periods in which the gentle Pai persona is suppressed or sealed away, leaving the Sanjiyan personality dominant. These developments test her identity and her relationship with Yakumo as they face increasing threats.
In terms of abilities, Pai is a powerful sorceress whose magic is accessed through her third eye. She can absorb a human soul and merge it with her own, creating an immortal Wu bound to serve and protect her. Her Sanjiyan nature grants her a long lifespan and a sensitivity to magic, allowing her to sense supernatural objects and beings. However, her power has limits: casting strong magic is exhausting, and the Sanjiyan personality must rest afterward, leaving her vulnerable. During such times the third eye closes and the gentle Pai personality can return, but the weakness that follows major spells is a recurring danger in her journey.
Pai is defined by a split personality, a trait common among younger Sanjiyan. Her primary personality, simply called Pai, is cheerful, caring, naive, and somewhat flaky, and in this state she looks completely human. Her second personality, Parvati IV, emerges when she is defenseless, endangered, or emotionally overwhelmed. Parvati is more arrogant, ruthless, rigid, and stoic, and it is this persona that commands her magical abilities. The two personalities are aware of each other and sometimes speak to one another. When the third eye opens, those around her usually refer to her as the Sanjiyan rather than by name.
Her central motivation is the desire to become human. Believing herself to be the last of her kind, she seeks the Ningen no Zo, a legendary artifact said to have the power to turn a Sanjiyan into a mortal. Her wish is rooted in the pain of her past; she wants to escape the sorrow and troubled history of her race and simply live as a human being. In pursuit of this goal, she travels to Tokyo, where she encounters a teenager named Yakumo Fujii. Yakumo is the son of Professor Fujii, an archaeologist who had befriended Pai in Tibet years earlier and promised to help her in her quest before falling ill and dying. Pai carries the professor's final letter to his son, asking Yakumo to aid her.
Her role in the story is inseparable from Yakumo. Early on, an accident involving her creature Takuhi mortally wounds Yakumo, and in desperation Pai's third eye opens and she absorbs his soul. This act saves his life but transforms him into her Wu, an immortal servant bound to protect her. Their fates become linked: Yakumo cannot die while she lives, but he will die if she does, and he can only become human again if she succeeds in becoming human as well. Their shared journey to find the artifact and restore both their lives drives the narrative, and it transforms their initial, uneasy alliance into a deep bond of trust and devotion.
The relationship with Yakumo is the most important in her life, but she is connected to others as well. Takuhi, a bird-like creature, serves as her guardian and companion. Her enemies include the followers of Kaiyanwang, a powerful demon god and former ruler of the Sanjiyan who is tied to her past, as well as various demons from the Shadow World who seek her power or want to use the artifact for themselves. Her mother is Parvati III, and her personal history is marked by loss and the near extinction of her people, which explains both her loneliness and her longing for an ordinary life.
Over the course of the story, Pai develops from an isolated and emotionally scarred being into someone capable of deep connection, largely through her experiences with Yakumo. Later storylines see her personality dynamics change significantly, including periods in which the gentle Pai persona is suppressed or sealed away, leaving the Sanjiyan personality dominant. These developments test her identity and her relationship with Yakumo as they face increasing threats.
In terms of abilities, Pai is a powerful sorceress whose magic is accessed through her third eye. She can absorb a human soul and merge it with her own, creating an immortal Wu bound to serve and protect her. Her Sanjiyan nature grants her a long lifespan and a sensitivity to magic, allowing her to sense supernatural objects and beings. However, her power has limits: casting strong magic is exhausting, and the Sanjiyan personality must rest afterward, leaving her vulnerable. During such times the third eye closes and the gentle Pai personality can return, but the weakness that follows major spells is a recurring danger in her journey.